A female contact is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Kokoku No. H3-13987 and is shown in FIG. 3. In this female contact 100, a contact receiving cavity 102 which accommodates the tab terminal A of a blade type fuse 120 is disposed in one end of a base part 101. A contact receiving cavity 103 which accommodates the tab terminal B of a bus bar is disposed in the other end of the base part 101. A housing 110 supports the female contact 100.
The contact receiving cavity 102 located at one end and the contact receiving cavity 103 located at the other end have the same structure. Each of these contact receiving cavities has an cantilever arm 106 which is folded back to the inside from a top wall 104 via a bent section 105, and a contact section 107 which is stamped out from the base part 101. Here, the tip of each cantilever arm 106 is protected by an antioverstress member 108. The tab terminal A of the blade type fuse 120 is clamped between the cantilever arm 106 and contact section 107 of the contact receiving cavity 102 located at one end, while the tab terminal B of the bus bar is clamped between the cantilever arm 106 and contact section 107 of the contact receiving cavity 103 located at the other end, so that the respective tab terminals are electrically connected to each other.
Here, the tab terminal B of the bus bar located at the second end of the female contact is generally a terminal that is not pulled out again once it has been accommodated in the contact receiving cavity 103. However, the tab terminal A of the blade type fuse 120 located at the first end of the female contact is inserted into and removed from the contact receiving cavity 102 repeatedly.
A problem exists in that the female contact 100 accommodated in the housing 110 is fastened in place so that it does not move with respect to the cavity of the housing 110. As a result, when the tab terminal A of the blade type fuse 120 is inserted into or removed from the female contact 100,it may stub against either the cantilever arm 106, or the anti-overstress member 108 resulting in poor electrical connection.